A strong smell of cannabis has been picked up wafting around the Drake Circus area following a police raid over the weekend.

Chaz Singh, a Parliamentary Candidate, noticed the scent of cannabis near to a Plymouth Police Sation.

Police have confirmed they seized cannabis plants from a Stonehouse property estimated to be worth more than quarter of a million pounds.

The haul was then taken to Charles Cross Police Station by police.

Chaz tweeted about a 'Massive aroma of weed near Charles Cross Police station"

Keen-nosed PCSOs sniffed out the cannabis farm in Ilbert Street over the weekend which resulted in officers executing a warrant and forcing their way into a large terrace house on Saturday night.

While the occupant of the property appears to have fled, they left behind a large and complex cannabis growing operation covering a number of rooms and the loft space.

One of the many rooms at the Ilbert Street property given over to growing cannabis (Image: Carl Eve)

Force Support Group officers spent much of Sunday clearing out the cannabis plants – many of which were between three and four feet high – and the growing equipment.

Drugs Liaison Officer Det Con Simon Rawlinson said the final count of plants totalled 453 with the majority just a week or two from being harvested.

He explained Home Office guidance estimated a yield of around 50 grams per plant, resulting in 22,560 grams in total.

He said: “Street value is taken as £10 a gram which means the entire yield could amount to £226,500.

From the front of the cannabis farm in Ilbert Street the only item on show was a Christmas tree and decorations (Image: Carl Eve)

“However, many of the large plants could weigh up to 84 grams, which gives a maximum yield of £380,000 if harvested.”

He said that regardless of the final figure, the seizure from the Ilbert Street property was significant and if undiscovered for several months would have provided two or three harvests, raising the potential street value from a quarter to half a million pounds.

Police have confirmed no arrests have been made and the occupant is still outstanding.

“The set up was very professional. If you combine the value of the plants, how long they had been growing and the possibly turnover of each crop, the value of the electricity stolen and the cost of the equipment, we can estimate that this offence involves hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“If fuels other crimes and we need the public’s help to target these offences.”